ON-AIR APOLOGY: APPARENTLY A BIG DEAL

Awful Announcing has the story of Mike Valenti of the “Valenti & Foster Show” on WXYT-FM in Detroit. Valenti read a joke about a capsized boat.

“Valenti read two comments from listeners about college basketball and one about baseball, then a joke about a capsized boat in Lake St. Clair. The hosts laughed, and crumpling paper could be heard.

On the air, he said: “I just offer you my sincerest apologies. It was completely ridiculous to put it on the air, and again, it comes to me. The only thing I can promise you as my listeners, it won’t happen again. Otherwise, I’ll tell you right now, I don’t deserve to be around.” Debbie Kenyon, the station’s market manager, said: “We fully agree that the comment was absolutely inappropriate.”

As suspected, people are up in arms and some are calling for Valenti to be fired.

“Asked if Valenti would face further discipline, Kenyon said: “I think I’ve said enough. We’ve addressed the issue with Mike the way we feel is best. The on-air apology is pretty big. We don’t do that very often.”

Also not done often on radio: making fun of people lost at sea, 3 of whom are now presumed to be dead. Say that you are handling it internally or something else–but that an on-air apology is big? Weak.

Posted by admin on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 8:50 am Filed under In the News · Tagged with

PB

Meh, just another radio idiot. Mike North made a living out of it. FIRE FORD MANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111